Should I use a car dealership for maintenance? (12 16 25)

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📱 Top Limited-Time Phone Plan Deals Right Now

• Ends 12/19: US Mobile Deal: Unlimited Plans Under $10/Month After Rebate

• Ends 12/19: Google Fi Wireless Deal: 50% off Unlimited for 12 Months

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👻 Money Becomes Increasingly Invisible

Imagine this: Whatever money you’re spending on presents, travel and food this holiday season, you have to physically take it out of your wallet and stack it on your bed in neat piles.

Would that make you think twice about upgrading that plane seat to business class or buying Aunt Gertrude that extra set of jewelry?

Long-term, Clark says yes – especially for people who have poor spending habits or consistently carry credit card debt. For some, money is way too easy to spend when it isn’t physical.

New research shows that adults younger than 24 use digital wallets for nearly half their purchases (45%). Many of them don’t own wallets or purses.

Cash accounts for just 14% of all purchases and is much more likely to come from people 55 and older who make less than $25,000 a year.

Bucking conventional thinking, the majority of Gen Z members (54%) say they’re more likely to spend cash thoughtlessly.

Said a 26-year-old from Los Angeles who doesn’t own a wallet: “If I have cash on me, it’s money that doesn’t exist. [I think,] ‘I can just use this to get myself a little treat.’”

Still, one way to curb spending is to pay for as much as possible with cold, hard cash. You can even physically freeze credit cards or try the envelope method.

Because for most people, physically handing over stacks of cash is more painful than swiping a rectangular piece of plastic.

📊 Stat of the Day

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals

🎙️ Podcast

Criminals are exploiting a weak link in the brokerage industry to quietly loot your investment accounts, and once the money is gone, it can be nearly impossible to recover. Clark reveals details of an insidious fraud --making your money disappear in a puff. Clark details why you must proactively set up a crucial security lock, similar to a SIM lock, with your brokerage firm to prevent this theft. Also, the medical industry is finally starting to catch up with technology, moving away from archaic methods like fax machines and clipboards to digital check-in systems. Clark urges listeners to adopt these new digital health systems, which build valuable, accessible medical history that could save your life in an emergency. However, he gives a stern warning: NEVER write your Social Security Number on any medical form, electronic or paper, as it gives criminals a key piece of information on a silver platter. Adopt the digital convenience, but always protect your most sensitive data.

☎️ Need Money Help?

The Team Clark Consumer Action Center is a free helpline that can help you navigate your money questions. Call 636-492-5275. Visit clark.com/cac for more information.

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